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Why Detroit Tigers called up Jackson Jobe as reliever for 'this last week and beyond'
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- Why Detroit Tigers called up Jackson Jobe as reliever for 'this last week and beyond'
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, president of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg discussed the possibility of calling up top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe to boost an out-of-nowhere postseason push .
Harris brought the idea to the table.
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"It was pretty clear that he could help us," Hinch said.
Therefore, the Tigers — in win-now mode — promoted Jobe from Triple-A Toledo for his MLB debut .
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Jobe, a 22-year-old right-hander, is going to be a big part of the Tigers' starting rotation in the near future, likely as soon as 2025 Opening Day, but until then, Hinch will use him as "a bullpen piece for this last week and beyond." The Tigers have six games remaining in the regular season to secure an American League wild-card spot , then up to as many as 22 games in the postseason.
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The postseason begins Oct. 1.
"We're going to use him similarly to how we've broken in other young pitchers," Hinch said before Tuesday's opener of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. "I'm going to try to find the best situation for him. I don't know the situation that he's going to inherit or the situation that's going to be first for him. I don't really specifically know the day, either."
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But Hinch expects Jobe to make his MLB debut at some point in the series against the Rays, in which left-hander Tarik Skubal (Tuesday), right-hander Keider Montero (Wednesday) and right-hander Reese Olson (Thursday) are scheduled to start.
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Almost everyone else from the pitching staff is available out of the bullpen, including right-hander Casey Mize . Only two non-starters won't be available for Tuesday's game: left-hander Brant Hurter and right-hander Ty Madden .
"That's as close to tipping my hand as I can," Hinch said.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe warms up during spring training at Tigertown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024.
As for Jobe, the Tigers won't use him like a starting pitcher to finish the regular season and in the postseason, which means he will pitch in shorter stints.
His preparation won't change, but his individual pitches — fastball, cutter, sweeper, changeup — will profile differently. For example, his fastball averaged 96.5 mph in Triple-A Toledo as a starter, but it should be closer to 100 mph with the Tigers as a reliever.
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"I might only get one inning," Jobe said. "I'm emptying the tank, for sure."
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Pitching out of the bullpen will be a relatively new experience for Jobe. He said he worked as a reliever "a little bit" in high school before the Tigers selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft , but since then, he's only had one relief experience.
"I feel good about it," Jobe said. "I did it in spring training and felt comfortable."
Six months ago, Jobe entered to pitch the ninth inning for the Tigers on March 12 in a spring training game . He retired all three batters he faced, struck out two batters, threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes and generated five whiffs on seven swings.
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Most notably, his fastball maxed out at 101.8 mph.
Can he still throw 102 mph?
"We're going to see," Jobe said.
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After spring training, Jobe logged a 2.36 ERA with 45 walks (12% walk rate) and 96 strikeouts (25.6% strikeout rate) across 91⅔ innings in 21 starts in the minor leagues, spanning three levels. He started just two games in Triple-A Toledo, allowing six runs in nine innings.
The Tigers always planned for at least 100 innings in 2024 .
As October approaches, Jobe is about to make his MLB debut as the Tigers try to put the finishing touches on their postseason push. He will be eligible to pitch in the postseason , if the Tigers advance.
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"We're trying to do everything we can to use our best guys in the best situations to win as many games as we can," Hinch said. "Jackson is a talented kid. He has worked his way through the minor leagues. He has some of the most electric stuff in the game. Bring him up here means we think we can get better. It means we think he can help us win. We're going to utilize everything we can to win as many games as we can."
Goodbye, Shelby Miller
The Tigers cut ties with right-handed reliever Shelby Miller , a 12-year MLB veteran, to create room for Jobe on the 28-man roster. He learned he would be designated for assignment in a Sunday night meeting with Hinch and Harris.
Miller had a 4.53 ERA with 13 walks and 49 strikeouts across 55⅔ innings in 51 relief appearances. He thrived against left-handed hitters and had a 1.15 ERA in his last 15⅔ innings.
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Shelby Miller pitches during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.
"His usage had declined," Hinch said. "I hadn't used him a ton. I didn't even get him up in Baltimore , and the decision hadn't even been made what we were doing at that point. We were just all hands on deck, trying to get as many outs as we could, and it became more and more clear he was falling towards the back of the line."
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Miller, 33, signed a one-year, $3 million contract last offseason, which included a $4.25 million club option for the 2025 season. He will become a free agent again.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Tigers called up Jackson Jobe as reliever
